


Stars will guide you home

by LinkaOrt



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2020-12-24 11:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21098552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinkaOrt/pseuds/LinkaOrt
Summary: After a life-changing confession and sudden realization, El Hopper decides that the best thing to do is run away from Mike, leaving him broken-hearted.





	1. The best thing I can do for you

The Wheeler's front door closed violently, shaking Mike to his very core. He could feel his blood rising up as El furiously drove away. As he frantically rushed towards the entrance, Karen got a hold of his cardigan's sleeve and pulled him back inside. 

"WHAT THE HELL MOM! " roared Mike

"Michael let her go! You can't handle that kind of responsibility so early in your life! You're throwing away your education and any chance at a good and wealthy life! Besides, your father already paid for..." 

But before Karen could finish the sentence, her son's enraged voice echoed around the house.

"THEM MOM! THEM! I can't lose them and I won't let them go! Can't you understand it's not your decision to make?"

"But..." 

"And I don't give a shit about what dad already paid!" yelled Mike, storming of the house. 

As he ran down the street, he could see El making a violent turn, disappearing from sight. Mike's heart stopped as he saw her driving away from him, taking with her his home, his future. 

\-----------

In a careless maneuver, El parked by her dad's old cabin; she had been living there by herself for the last 2 years. Even though it broke Joyce's heart, El knew she needed to be next to her father's presence, that to her still lingered around the cabin. 

She packed up her clothes as fast she could, leaving a few behind scattered around the place. On her way out, she picked up an old tile from the ground and reached out for a small box that contained a dusty photo album, a couple of Mike's old letters and her birth certificate. 

Having everything set, she took one last look around her home, the place where she had finally became a child, where she had been loved and cared for...

"Goodbye dad" she whispered, rushing out of there knowing that Mike would be bursting in any second.


	2. Auntie Zoomer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El reaches out for the only person who can help her...

It had been 3 days since El left town and checked into an old hotel on the outskirts of Hawkins. She couldn't believe a person was capable of crying as much as she was ever since she left the Wheelers' house; the moment she walked into the hotel room, all she did was sleep, cry and occasionally eat a pack of cookies.   
As she laid down in bed, El could feel her stomach protest in hunger. 

"I'm so sorry," she said between whimpers, caressing her middle as a wave of guilt hit her. She pulled a pillow over herself, attempting to keep her body warm. 

"Promise we'll eat soon kiddo, aunt Max is coming, you will love her".

15 minutes later there was a loud knock on the door. El dragged herself out of bed and stumbled across the room. It had been 5 years since she had lost her powers so eventually, she accepted the fact that opening doors with her mind was a thing from the past; she had gotten used to being like everybody else. 

As soon as the door unlocked, a pair of pale arms engulfed her in a tight embrace; red, long hair tickling El's nose. 

"Jesus Max! Did you fly here? Hop would have confiscated your car by now!" El said smiling at the thought of her dad still being around.

"What can I say? They don't call me zoomer for anything!" Huffed Max walking in with a paper bag in hand. She waved at El, urging her to sit down next to her on the room's old couch. 

"Now, tell me exactly why you suddenly disappeared and what on earth did Wheeler do, cause he's running around town like a headless chicken looking for you"   
At these words, El's heart clenched in pain.

"Is he really...looking for me?" She asked. 

"Yeah, and it's really worrying me El, he was almost thrown in jail for flipping out on Mrs. Wilson at the library when she told him you had quit your job without an explanation" 

El began to sob, causing Max to jump back in fear. 

"Ellie you can tell me anything, you know that...I'm here now, but first, let's get some food into your system cause you're making me look like the chunky one," the redhead said, trying to lighten up the mood. 

"Not for long" mumbled El, rubbing her face against the fabric of her flannel shirt. 

"What's that?" asked Max, blinking a few times in confusion at her friend's reply.

"I said, not for long" repeated the brunette, a lot clearer this time, standing up from her seat and making her way to the nightstand by her bed. She retrieved a folded piece of paper and handed it to Max. 

As she read, her eyes grew wide in disbelief.

" Are you...? that son of a bitch...I will kill him" she said, ears boiling in anger. 

"Max wait, I need to tell you what happened," said El, pausing to catch her breath " I started feeling sick two months ago, so I decided to run some tests. At first, I thought all of those years in the lab were finally taking their toll on me " Max winced at the mention of El's traumatic past "but I discovered something else, I'm...I didn't believe it was possible but" El smiled " I'm going to be a mamma"  
Max covered her mouth, unsure of what to say or how to react. 

"If I was a normal teenager I would have been terrified, I mean, I'm only 19, but I'm hopeful Max, I have the chance to give a new life the love and protection I never had as a child," said El.

She couldn't control her emotions any longer so she burst down in tears 

" I imagined Mike by my side but.. but" 

"...Son of a bitch left you" Max whispered.

"I had to! I left him but he didn't stop me" El finished, sniffing loudly.

"But why El? He's going crazy out there! Even Dustin came back from New York" Max shuffled in her seat. 

"After a few days thinking about the whole Kiddo situation, I figured he had to know. So I built up the courage and went over his house... it just slipped out 'you're going to be a father' so he...," El started to sob again at the memory " he just stood there, shaking his head saying no... And then it happened"

"What happened?" Asked Max, holding her friend's hand.

"His mamma came in, screaming at me and saying how careless I was...she said I was going to ruin his son's future...that it was a matter of time before he would start hating me for holding him back" 

El couldn't take it anymore. She collapsed on her friend's lap and shivered at the thought of a furious Karen Wheeler. 

"He said nothing, Max...he just stood there and said nothing! So I ran because I knew he realized his mother was right" she cried. 

Both girls rested on the couch as El's cries subsided. After a few minutes, she spoke softly. 

"His mamma's right, I can't do this to him. Besides, without my powers I'm safe...we both are." 

Max, that had been silently crying, spoke after a few seconds. 

"Listen to me El, that crazy and annoying nerd loves you to death! Are you sure you want to leave him out?" 

"Yes." 

"Then it's settled, what happens now?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow, I'll start fresh, go as far as I can. Kiddo and I will be ok, we'll have each other" said El, lost in thought.

"You mean WE are leaving tomorrow" corrected Max, causing El to turn in astonishment. 

"But... your whole life is here Max; your mom, Lucas"

"Shush! Lucas and I are over FOR REAL this time, I saw him with a girl last week, they looked pretty close so...do the math" El's brows raised in disbelief "And my mom, jeez, she only lives for her stupid husband. It's gotten worse since Billy...they don't even care if I'm home or not" 

El leaned against her friend. "College?" 

"Not a chance, at least not for now" smiled Max "gotta save money." 

She nodded understanding her friend's predicament. After a while, the redhead stood from the couch and handed El a burger and some cold fries. 

"Well, better eat up, we can't plan on an empty stomach, besides, I don't want my nephew to come out as lanky as his dumbass father so..." El gave her a glare. 

They ate in silence, sipping on their drinks every now and then. A while later, the girls started to plan their soon to be adventure, unaware of the tall young man sitting outside El's room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	3. Maybe one day...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike thinks about how much he can lose...

Mike burst into the cabin, frantically searching for the girl he loved since he was a twelve-year-old boy. 

"EL! ELEVEN! Please please please!" He begged, rushing into every room.

Suddenly, he stopped in front of El's room, contemplating the emptiness of the place. His eyes scanned her deserted closets and the few pieces of clothing scattered around the floor. Right there and then, Mike collapsed into the ground, realization hitting him with the force of lightning. His biggest fear had come true; he had lost her...again, and it was all his fault. 

He tilted his head as something caught his eye; a tiny piece of white fabric laid undisturbed, next to her bed.  
How could something so small and ordinary made him feel so many things? He asked himself as he picked up the baby's sock. 

That's when it finally hit him; he was having a child and it was real. At first, when El had told him, he was shocked...terrified, to be honest, so he froze. He could still see her hopeful expression, waiting for his response (the one that didn't come as expected). 

"No, no, no, no we were being careful," he thought as he shook his head in denial. As soon as his mother entered the room, he hated himself for just standing there like an idiot, staring into space, trying to avoid El's expectant gaze. But everything happened so quickly; Karen's screams, his girlfriend's tearful eyes and his inability to respond. He was brought back to reality as soon as his front door slammed closed. 

"Shit! I did this..." He cried as another devastating thought invaded his mind; what if he never found them? Was he ever going to know his son's or daughter's name? What if something happened to them? He couldn't stand the thought of his child being tested on or locked away in a lab, alone and afraid, just like El had been. 

"This can't be happening," he said " how could she ever believe all that crap? Did nothing matter to her?" All those years together, thrown down the drain because of a stupid accusation from his mother. 

Soon, agony turned into something darker; a mixture of anger and despair. But then, he recalled his mother's words "How could you be so selfish Jane!? I thought you cared about Michael! You're going to ruin his future and he's going to hate you for it! " 

Mike could hear El's heart-shattering as guilt overtook her delicate features. He knew right away that she had believed everything his mom had said and the strange connection they shared told him she had made up her mind, El Hopper was disappearing from his life for good. 

After what felt like years, Mike understood there were only 2 choices; either rot in self-pity or fight to get them back. He knew there was not a chance in hell he would let them go...he was going to look for his family in every corner of the world if necessary. 

Determination pulled him out of his trance as he stood up and carefully placed the small sock in his pocket.

"I'll be there, to meet you when you're here... I promise" he spoke softly. 

Mike breathed a few times before leaving the cabin, swearing on Hopper's grave he would bring El home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy! I will try to finish the story soon enough...


	4. Lost without your light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike loses no time in searching for his family.

Thick droplets of water thumped against Steve Harrington's office window. As the new chief police in Hawkins, he spent most of his time looking through files and attending people's hardships. Finally, after a long day of work, he was ready to meet his best friend and colleague Robin at the nearest bar. Unfortunately, the weather outside decided otherwise. 

His eyes lingered on the only picture frame resting on his desk; it was the first day as 'the boss' like Dustin liked to call him, and all of his children had surprised him with a welcoming party. He was lifted off his feet by a teenage Lucas, whose length had surpassed Steve's. Max was holding a chocolate cake while Erica was pulling a disgusted face at Dustin's visible screams of joy. And as always, Mike was embracing El in a protective way. 

"Little shit heads..." mumbled Steve to himself with a crooked smile. 

"STEVE! STEVE! HELP!" A panicked voice came from outside the office. 

Steve darted towards the door, feeling a rush of adrenaline running through his veins. 

"Wheeler what the...? 

" No time, El... She's she's gone...I need to find her, please...let's..." said a soaked Mike. 

"Wait...wait...Mike calm down! When was the last time you saw her?" asked Steve, he could feel Mike's anguish, creeping upon himself. 

"My house, she...we... her stuff are gone, You gotta help me! Let's go! NOW! 

" Look, man, I'm gonna start searching but you gotta stay here! You gotta keep calm... " said Steve, trying to settle the younger man down. 

"NO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SHE'S..."

"Gonna be fine, I'm on it right now but I can't have you around"...

" She's pregnant," declared Mike with utter despair. 

Steve stood frozen in his place, staring Mike straight in the eye. 

"Seriously man? Be thankful that Hopper is gone or I would be sipping coffee...AT YOUR FREAKING FUNERAL!" roared Steve, taking a hand to his forehead.

"Trust me, I would rather be dead than having her gone.." whispered Mike.

At this point, Steve decided that the last thing the kid needed was a lecture. He took a deep breath and approached Mike, who looked a bit green. 

"Mike, we'll find her...you know I will, I promise"

These words completely disarmed the freckled man, who finally broke down in tears for the hundredth time that day. 

Soon enough, Steve was rushing out the door, determined to find the missing girl. 

\----------------------------

After leaving the police station, Michael drove towards the only place that could comfort him; El's cabin. As he stepped into her room, he collapsed on the bed, taking in her scent.  
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny sock. 

"Hi, there! I'm... I can't wait to meet you one day little one...Hope, yeah... You're my little Hope" he spoke softly to the small object. In other circumstances, Mike would have felt ridiculous talking to a simple piece of cloth, but somehow he felt like it was the only thing connecting him to his child. 

Lost in thought, he dozed off.


	5. What if?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Was she really alone in this? Because she's taking the correct decision...Right? Right?

It was half-past ten and El had started rolling across the bed, squeezing a sleeping Max in the process.

"Mmmmaaax...wake up" she croaked, but the only response she got was a loud snore. 

"Max we have to go" insisted El, tugging at her friend's top. 

"Piss off Hopper!" snorted the redheaded girl.

"...definitely NOT a morning person" mumbled in defeat the brunette as she was rolling off the bed.

As soon as she stood up, a violent wave of nausea hit her, making her sprint towards the bathroom.

After emptying the contents of her stomach, El sat down by the door, rubbing her temple. 

"Kid...we gotta eat sometime, got it? You can't make me throw everything up!" She said, scolding her middle section.

El was immersed in thought when a sudden movement caught her eye, making her jump in surprise. A folded piece of paper was being slid from under the front door. El froze as if not moving would make the paper disappear.

She heard loud footsteps and a mop of bright red hair flew across the entrance, rushing in pursuit of the fleeing stranger. 

A few seconds passed and El could feel the anxiety rising up in her chest. She could hear a loud noise approaching and it wasn't long before Max came stumbling through the door frame, firmly holding a young man by the neck.

"Who are you punk!?" "Why are you sneaking up on us?" demanded Max. 

"Urrghh...ouch...aaaahhh" 

"God Max! Let him breathe! He's turning purple" said El. 

After tugging off of the girl's strong grip, a skinny tall boy let out a loud huff, clearly unhappy with the way he was manhandled.

" Damn it, Max! You almost killed me!" said the boy...

As soon as he spoke and rose up, both girls were caught by surprise... 

Will Buyers was standing in front of them, rubbing his irritated neck. His Flamel shirt was crooked and the baseball cap he was wearing lay on the floor.

"What...how..??" said Max, confusion written all over her face.

El's mind was racing, her heart was furiously pounding and her vision began to blur...everything was dark. 

____________________________________________

"Mike! I know you're in there! Come on buddy, open up! Mike! MIKE!" 

"Dustin! Give the man a break! Mike, please man, open up! I promise to keep Dustin's mouth shut for 20 minutes if you just...." 

Lucas couldn't finish the sentence because of Hopper's old cabin door slowly opening-up with a creaking sound.

"Holy shit!" mumbled Dustin, giving Lucas a pleading look...

In a few days, Mike had become a 'living' ghost. His skin was paler than ever and the color of the dark bags under his eyes was almost matching the darkness of his hair.

He hadn't shaved for a while and appeared to be wearing the same shirt for some time. 

The glassy look in his eyes and the tight grip around the doorknob told the guys things were pretty bad...REALLY bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a while, but I'm excited about this story...I hope you enjoy it! :)


	6. The connection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So one more ingredient to this mess of a mixture. I hope you enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been writing more chapters... These are hard times for everyone and my family is really feeling it... Anyways, I wish good health for all of the readers and writers here.

Darkness. That's all she could remember before slowly coming back to her senses. The first thing El noticed was a pair of long arms, engulfing her in a protective way. Could it be? 

"Mike?" She croaked softly. No response.

A disappointed sigh was emitted from the person holding her tightly. 

"El...wake up..." 

As her vision began to adjust, she could see a pale boy staring back at her, his hair was longer than usual but his eyes were the same as always, gentle and warm. 

"Will..." 

"Come on El, Max is coming back in a second, we... we must get you some food, it's not good for... Well you gotta eat more than just cookies"

Without notice, Will picked her up from the ground and gently laid her down on the bed. At this point, El was fully aware of her surroundings again.

"Will" she repeated clearer "How did you find me?" 

He shuffled awkwardly.

"Yes dear William, tell us HOW exactly" Max was standing in the doorway, waiting for an answer. 

"I...I guess I just felt it. The connection to El. I suddenly felt the urge to run from everything and everyone...look, I know this sounds weird but I think I was feeling...you El." Explained Will, more to himself than the girls next to him.

Both girls were now sitting on the bed, their facial expressions urging him to continue.

"So I took Jhonnathon's Mustang and drove back to Hawkins. Remember that car that almost hit you on the way here? Yup...it was me..." 

Max's eyes threatened to pop out at the mention of this incident. 

"So..." El began, "you followed me here...how long were you..?"

"Funny story...umm... I've been your neighbor since you checked in. I'm sorry El... I was afraid you'd run if I came up to you...you needed Max first"

El shook her head in agreement. Suddenly curiosity took over her as she began to unfold the paper Will had slid under the door. To her surprise, 5 neatly folded bills fell on her lap. She gasped. 

"Woah, Buyers! Where did you get that much money? " Max roared as she locked eyes with El. 

"It's nothing...just some savings I got from selling a few paintings." Responded the young man, suddenly feeling warmer than usual. 

El stood and gently walked towards Will, not breaking eye contact in the process. 

"Will..." She said, "I can't take your savings... 500 dollars are not JUST savings. I can do that to you, it wouldn't be fair. Besides, I have to leave, soon."

"Then I'll go with you! Please El... I can't leave you. I won't let you go like that. We'll use the money for expenses until we settle down, Max and I will get jobs...and when the baby comes...we'll be ready" El could see such intensity and determination in his eyes that made her heart melt. She couldn't say no.

"How did you know about..." El started with a sight.

"Come on Hopper, these walls are thinner than paper...besides I kinda... heard you telling Max" 

"You were eavesdropping on us!?" The redhead said. 

"What? No, maybe...I'm sorry. I just didn't know what was so wrong that turned El into a sobbing mess".

"Look, Mike is my friend, but I wouldn't turn my back on you. No matter what." 

Max and El stared at each other in disbelief. There was no other way around. 

The brunette engulfed Will into a hug and only whispered _thank you_ into his ear. After a quick lunch, the packing began. 

Soon enough, and after successfully selling her old pick up truck and making sure Johnnathons' Mustang was safe and sound, El and her friends hopped into Max's old car and began their journey. Away from Hawkings, without looking back. 

**Author's Note:**

> It 's the first time I write for someone else to read....I hope you enjoy...


End file.
